I set my first layer flow rate down to .9 to combat the scraping

I didn't understand this at first... I understand now, I'll test tomorrow. In the meantime I've done a quarter turn on the Z set screw in oorder to raiser the nozzle a little, this seems to help avoid the scrape and it still sticks OK.

Also, I'm printing blue ABS now for a change !

First layer should look a little squished.  Think of the point of contact on the cylindrical filament coming out.  If it's just touching you get a single thin point of contact like a ball touching the floor.  If you push it into the bed a little you get a significantly wider point of contact and grip.  I set my first layer flow rate down to .9 to combat the scraping.

Nice idea.

The skirt makes a rather thin line (it's not a flattened line, like the raft is when using skeinforge).

Also, the first perimeter is thin (like the skirt). But then the second and third perimeters seem thicker (needs checking next time I test, but I'm just about sure).

Does this seem normal ?

The one thing I've noticed is that it looks like nozzle "scratches" the surfaces while moving around, as if the layer was in fact a little to thick. Also, I noticed the wire diameter is set to 1.7mm, should it be 1.75 (and could this explain this impression of overthickness)?

Does anyone have this symptom of looking at anything and just wondering "could I do this easily with SD?"

Yes but lose the "easily"  I'll spend all day Saturday printing somthing I could buy for $1.99 just because I can.  haha

Since I've reduced first layer speed to 0.25 (so the first layer doesn't get pulled away) and set retract length to 2mm (to avoid drips) it seems to be working better.

I've got a print going right now of a part I've been having a few difficulties with (nothing spectacular... but I'm begining!) and for now it's looking pretty good, no blobs nor drips and it is stuck to the plate without the raft. Hopefully this version will give me a nice finish (and no raft to remove... which is a pain).

Thanks all for the help.

I repeat, Solidoodle is a miracle. Does anyone have this symptom of looking at anything and just wondering "could I do this easily with SD?"

Now... back to RH/slic3r. I've installed the package and done some tests... it makes a real mess! I'm using the 0.3mm solidoodle setting, and it just doesn't work. There's no raft so nothing is sticking. The first loop of the first layer just unsticks as soon as the nozzle comes back with the second loop of the first layer... even sometimes it doesn't even manage to do a square (first loop first layer of my tower), it just doesn't stick.

I've never had this issue with proterface..... how do you make a raft in slic3r, and what's the funny "outer boundary" slic3r does before starting the print? At first I though is was the raft, but it only does an outer boundary...

Yeah... I think I'm going to give RH/Slic3r a try. I've been reading a solidoodle blog post where they talk about a bundle that should be out now:

http://www.solidoodle.com/2012/11/1495/

Does this bundle exists? Whatever, I'll just follow the instructions and see.

We do have a package out - it's on our software install page. Still writing documentation.

First mess with retraction so that when the extruder moves from tower 1 to Tower 2, no filament is left at the exit point. I would do this with restart length set to 0. Once you feel that value is dialed in, move to your restart value. Fiddling with both at once can lead to misdiagnosing a situation and waste more time and plastic.

http://www.solidoodle.com/2012/11/1495/

Does this bundle exists? Whatever, I'll just follow the instructions and see.